Freedom
by SW4G M4N
Summary: After being locked up in prison for most my life, I couldn't imagine anything more sweet then freedom. I always told myself I would do anything if it meant escaping that hell hole, anything. But now, I don't know what to think. AU based somewhat off of Bioshock Infinite.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First chapter of my first Zelda Fanfic! Please do enjoy. Reviews are welcome.**

**FREEDOM**

**Chapter One: Ladder from Hell**

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Do you know what hell is? Not the fiery place that bad people go when they die, but an actual hell on earth. I do. It's where I lived for the first decade or so of my life.

That's right, I, Link Forester, was raised in the most violent and brutal hole in all of Hyrule, a prison called The Arbiter's Ground. The Grounds is a waking nightmare, a place where men are thrown to rot for the rest of their lives. There is no mercy; there is no hope. The only light that ever shines into the place is through the small barred windows, which only give a small glimpse of the burning, dry desert that surrounds the Grounds. Even if one managed to escape, they would surly die and whither in the harsh environment outside. There truly is no way out. Or, at least, that's what I thought for most my life.

I knew why I was in there. My father and mother had committed high treason against the crown, and were sentenced to five generations in the Arbiter's Ground. Unfortunately, being their son means I'm only generation two. So I was doomed to sit in the festering prison for my whole life, along with my children and my children's children.

I know, pretty unfair right? Well that's what life was for most these days, unfair. Hyrule was in one of its deepest depressions due to our 'oh so glorious' king, Daphnes Harkinian IV. Actually, it wasn't just him, but his father too. In my opinion, they deserved to be locked up in here with me. Daphnes Harkinian III was the one who single handedly drove the country into the ground with his greed and thirst for power. Daphnes Harkinian IV had, at first, been a promising king, or at least that's what my dad told me. But something happened, and it drove the man insane. The princess, his daughter, Zelda Harkinian VII, vanished.

Her disappearance was dubbed a national tragedy, as well as one of the biggest mysteries in Hyrule history. Nobody knew where she went, or how she went, but one day she was there and the next day, gone without a trace. She was kidnapped at a very young age as well, about five years old is what Link heard from his father.

No matter what the reason, though, Daphnes IV lost it, condemning innocent men for his daughter's disappearance. That was when my family and I were sent here. The king believed my father, one of his closest friends and most loyal knights, was in on a conspiracy to kidnap his daughter, so he sent him, my mother, and I away. I was about eight when he damned us to the Grounds, didn't even know what was happening until it was too late.

So there I was, stuck in the Arbiter's ground with no way out, imprisoned for no fair reason. For twenty-three years I was locked up in this hellhole, trying to fend off the murders and rapists. Luckily, I wasn't completely alone. There were other families who had been locked up for similar reasons that I could confide in. While most didn't last very long, some lucky ones, including myself, were able to band together and survive the prison.

The group of innocents included sister, my Aryll, Colin, Saria, and me. We were all sons and daughters of the men and women accused of high treason to the crown. Unfortunately, we were all orphans as well. Most our parents were killed by the other inmates, starvation, or disease while trying to protect us. I'll never forget the day when my father and mother were killed, as much as I wish I could.

But now I have a single purpose, keep my little sister alive. Aryll is all I have left, and is the only flower who has been untainted by the gulag. I've done my best to keep her in our cell, bringing her all the necessities so that she wouldn't have to go and face the horrors outside.

It wasn't enough, though. I knew that eventually, Aryll would be thrust into the hars reality of where we were. Every year I continued to lie to her, though, telling her that we would be freed sometime. Never did I think there was a drop of truth in that sentence, not until my twenty fourth birthday…

* * *

"Link! Link, wake up sleepy!"

I awoke to see Aryll's smiling face hovering over me, her dirty blond ponytails hanging down in front of my face.

"Get up Link!" I rubbed my eyes and sat up from my cot drowsily.

"What is it?"

Aryll smiled and grabbed my hand, yanking me out of my bed and up on my feet. "You aren't serious, right? Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!"

Birthday? I had completely forgotten that I was turning twenty-four that day. Then again, it was pretty difficult to keep track of time inside the Arbiter's Ground. Everything just seemed like one, long, grueling day.

"So, do you wanna see what I got you?" Aryll chirped, tugging on the grimy rags that I was forced to wear.

I laughed light heartedly, trying not to ruin my sister's good mood. "What did you get me?"

"Close your eyes," she told me, grabbing my wrists and pushing my hands in front of my face. Once she was sure I wasn't peeking, I heard her run off to grab her present. A couple seconds later, Aryll said, "Alright big brother, open you eyes!"

I moved my hands out of the way and almost fell over backwards when I saw what Aryll was holding up to me. In her hands was the biggest, most disguesting rat I've ever seen, squirming and squeaking.

"Sweet Hylia, Aryll," I yelled, trying to back away from her 'present', "Where the hell did you get that thing?"

"Do you like him?" she asked me, shoving the vile thing closer to my face, "I named him Mr. Squeaks! He can be our shared pet!"

I took another look at the rat, who seemed just as unhappy with the situation as I was. "Aryll, I don't know…"

My sister decided to pull out the big guns, looking right at me with a sad look in her big blue eyes. She knew it was my one weakness; I couldn't resist the puppy eyes. I began to sweat as she continued to press on, giving me a look of utter disappointment and sadness. It didn't take long for me to crack, even though the creature WAS hideous, "Fine, Mr. Squeaks can stay…"

Aryll shrieked happily, and began running around their small cell happily. I simply sighed in defeat and sat back down in his cot. There was simply no defeating the puppy eyes.

As Aryll was doing her victory lap, I heard a knock on the cell door. Aryll quickly stopped running when she heard the knock, and run under her bed, just as I had taught her to do when someone comes knocking. I got up and cautiously went up to the heavy iron door.

"Password," I stated once, putting my ear up to the door so I could hear the answer

A boy's voice answered from the other side, "It's me, Colin."

"COLIN!" Aryll yelled happily, immediately running from out from under the bed and pushing me to the side.

She and Colin, the second youngest in our group, was the son of a council member. He and Aryll had developed some sort of realationship over the years. I, being the overprotective big brother, was always wary around him. But I knew when it came down to it; Colin would protect Aryll with his life, which is more than I could ask for. Plus, it was nice to know Aryll had someone else she could love, other then me.

Colin stepped in, along with Malon, a red headed woman who was about my age as well. Malon was the daughter of the owner of Lon Lon ranch, a once proud and successful farm.

"I'm guessing the girly scream meant Aryll gave you your present," Malon giggled as she closed the door behind her, locking it so that no one else could follow them inside.

"You knew about this?"

"It's all Aryll's been talking about for weeks," laughed Colin, taking a seat on the floor next to Aryll, "She was pretty excited for your birthday."

"Happy days like this are few here. Gotta take what you can get," Malon added as she reached into her sewn on pocket, "speaking of, I have your present from me right here."

Malon pulled out a small star carved out of the stone that lined the prison walls. While it wasn't very shiny, I appreciated the effort it must have taken to make it. She had probably used her fingernails to wear down the rock to make the shape.

"Wow Malon, Thanks! How long did it take you to make this?" I asked as I carefully took the star in my hands, making sure not to break any of the edges off.

"I started last year," Malon told me, smiling as if all that time she put in was nothing, "But it was worth it in the end!"

Malon was definitely the best friend I had. She may have been the one of the only options, since she was the only one around my age in this prison that wasn't a complete psychopath. Malon was sweet and nice, definitely not someone who deserved to be in prison. Like the rest of us, she was suffering without any logical reason.

"You know, one day we'll get out of here," I said to my friends as I walked over to the small window in our room and placed the star on the sill.

"I seriously doubt that." I turned around and saw Colin giving me a skeptical look.

Aryll slapped Colin on the arm playfully, "Don't be so down Colin! The Goddesses will reward us for our patience. When I get out, I'm going to see everything!"

Malon and I laughed at her child like innocence. Aryll was simply the most adorable girl ever. She gave us a pouty look, crossing her arms and stiffing her upper lip. "I'm serious! After being stuck in here for so long, I want to see as much as I can! Dad told us about a beautiful world out there, and I intend to experience it first hand."

I sighed sadly. Sometimes I wish our father hadn't told us his stories about the beauties of Hyrule. While the tales were nice at the time, it now only filled him with a sense of longing. It was a longing to feel grass beneath his feet, to see the clouds above him, and to feel the sunlight hit his skin.

"I'm sure that we'll do that someday, Aryll," Malon told her, noticing that I was lost in my thoughts at the time.

"What do you think Mr. Squeaks?" Aryll asked, holding her hideous rat out in front of her. The rat just stared blankly at her in confusion, not really comprehending the situation. Malon giggled, "I think Mr. Squeaks would love it."

"So Link," Colin said, changing the subject, "Today you get your birthday rations! Imagine that, actual food and drink for one day! Are you not excited?"

"How could I not be?" Every prisoner, on their birthday, was given actual food, if they had behaved themselves all year. It was a way of keeping the inmates docile enough not to start riots every other day. On the whole, considering the type of people who lived in Arbiter's Ground, it worked pretty well.

"Any minute, the guards are going to come in and whisk my brother away to a breakfast of milk, bread, and cheese!" Aryll exclaimed happily, clapping for me

As if on queue, there were three loud slams at my door, followed by a loud command, "INMATE! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

I walked over and let in the guards, who quickly filed into the room, followed by the captain and warden, Sheik Shadows. Sheik Shadows was an intimidating looking man to say the least. He wore the garb of a sheikah warrior, a testament to his training and ability. His head was covered in wraps, only showing his blood red eyes, easily his most intimidating trait. Sheik Shadows was not a man you wanted to mess with.

"Mr. Shadows," I greeted with a respectful bow

Sheik nodded towards me, returning the gesture, "Mr. Forester, it is your birthday today. Will you come join me for your breakfast?"

"I would be honored."

I waved to Colin, Malon, and Aryll, who all gave me happy smiles, secretly wishing they were in my place. Sheik led me out of my cell and had the guards place chains around my arms.

"Know I do not wish to do this," Sheik me him as the guards finished up restraining my arms, "You are one of our better behaved prisoners. But, unfortunately, it is one of the rules."

"I understand, sir," I responded submissively, bowing my head to show him that I had no intent to rebel.

"Good," Sheik motioned for the guards, and we began to make our way to his office, where each year the meal was waiting. As I passed by the other cells, I could see the prisoners clamoring towards me, shouting threats and other obseneties. I just stayed calm and reminded myself of the first rule of prison; don't show that they're getting to you. I had to stay strong, lest they spot a sign of weakness.

"Almost there," Sheik said as he unlocked a door and held it open for me. Once I stepped in, he closed it behind me and led me up the stairs to his office.

The warden's office never ceased to amaze me. Not because it was nice, but because it was the exact opposite. The walls were chipped, the desk was atrocious, and the surrounding torches barely lit the dank room. I always assumed that the warden would to live extravagantly. After all, Arbiter's Ground was the most infamous prison in all of Hyrule. Certainly he was paid well.

"Sit," Sheik told me as he pulled up a chair in front of his desk, "Let us talk."

I nodded obediently and sat down in front of him, looking the sheikah in his red eyes. The food was quickly put down in front of me by one of the guards.

I looked hungrily at the warm, fresh bred, the melted butter, the slices of Ordon goat cheese, and the goblet of milkwine. This was probably the best birthday ration I had ever gotten.

"Link," Sheik said in his usual serious tone of voice, "there is something I need to talk with you about."

Oh no, I thought, had something happened? Had I done something wrong? All those years of good behavior might be done the drain!

"W-what is it sir?" I gulped, looking at him nervously

"There is someone here to see you." My jaw almost dropped. Someone came to see me? Who? I didn't know anyone outside the prison. All acquaintances of my father had either forgotten about me or were to scared of the crown to remember me.

"A-are you sure?"

Sheik gave me an 'are you serious?' look, "Yes, Mr. Forester, I am sure. But there are things we have to go over before you meet with them."

"What?"

"Not many people are allowed to get visitors," Sheik told him, "And if they heard that you had one, they may strike out in anger. Now I am only allowing this because of your good behavior during your time here. Show them respect and they may help you out of your situation."

Now I almost spit milkwine on the warden. Freedom? A possibility for freedom is what he said? My God, it was happening! I was going to be free!

"Mr. Tatl, Ms. Tael, you may enter now," Sheik called

The door quickly swung open, almost knocking out the guard standing next to it, and in walked a man and a woman who looked to be brother and sister. They were a bit strange looking, both in their features and how they walked. Tatl and Tael kept their heads held high, but in a way that looked more goofy than regal. They both wore very dull outfits, not fitting for anyone of high stature. Both had jet-black hair, along with long faces and bright green eyes.

"Hello Mr. Forester," they said in unison

"My name is Tatl."

"and I am her brother, Tael."

"Hello," I greeted, bowing to show as much respect as I could, just like Sheik had suggested.

"He is so nervous brother," giggled Tatl, "Shall I cut to the chase, or keep him waiting?"

Tael laughed, "I do believe the boy will have a breakdown if we do not tell him soon. Go ahead!"

"Right then," Tatl said, clearing her throat, "Mr. Forester, we are messengers from the king of Hyrule, his highness, Daphnes Harkinian IV."

"The king?" I gasped. Now I was really nervous. Was he going to finish off the Forester lineage, kill my sister and I so we couldn't cause him trouble?

"Wonderful job sister, now he thinks he is going to get executed," Tael told her with a roll of his eyes

I sighed with relief; it wasn't execution.

"Oh dear, I am sorry Mr. Forester, but do let me finish before making assumptions. The king has sent us because he has a job for you. Know that it is not an easy task, but then again, I believe you will find the task worth it for your freedom."

"Job? Freedom?" I responded. This was it! My chance to free both my sister and I, the opportunity I had been waiting for my whole life!

Tael nodded, "If you complete this job, both you, your sister, and your friends will be free of this prison."

"I'll do it!" I exclaimed excitedly, almost jumping from my seat with happiness.

"I'm happy you accept!" Tatl said, "Gather anything from your cell you may want to bring, which should not take long, and then meat us in front of the prison. The warden will personally make sure your family and friends are protected while you are away. Please do hurry though, Link, we are on a time constraint."

* * *

"Freedom?"

Malon was crying tears of joy as Aryll danced in circles. Colin simply stood with his mouth gaping open, trying to comprehend what I had just announced. Their reaction didn't surprise me. After all we had been stuck in the Arbiter's Ground for over a decade. It was nothing short of a miracle that we had this opportunity to begin with.

"Wait," Aryll cried out, tugging on my torn cloths, "Where are you going?"

I bent down on one knee in front of Aryll so I could be at eye level for her. For the longest time I was all she had. But I trusted Sheik Shadows to keep my sister safe. If he didn't, well, it wouldn't even be worth living on the outside.

"I'm have to do the king a favor before we get our freedom," I told her, looking into her watering eyes, "But I promise I'll make it out. Then we can travel the world, just like you wanted to!"

"Alright," Aryll sniffled, launching herself at me and giving me one last hug before I had to leave.

I then turned to Malon, who was just as teary as Aryll. I put both my hands on her shoulders and made sure she was paying attention. "Malon, I need you to look after my sister and Colin while I'm gone."

Malon gave me a hug and then a quick kiss on the cheek, "Alright Link, you can trust me. I'll keep them safe."

"Link, when will you be back?" Colin asked me as he put his arm around my sister, comforting her

"I don't know." Colin looked to the ground dejectedly after he heard this. I knew that he always looked up to me as he was growing up. But he was thirteen now, old enough to fend for himself and protect Aryll, who he knew Colin would throw down his life for.

"I need you to protect Aryll, Colin. You're the man for now." Colin merely nodded, giving me a look of deSkylofttion.

"You can count on me."

I pulled all of them into a group hug, cherishing my make shift family. I was going to come back, for them. "Please… stay safe."

"Mr. Forester!"

I turned around and saw Warden Shadows leaning in the entrance, looking at me impatiently. "We have to get moving."

"Alright." I turned to Malon, Colin, and Aryll to give them one last wave, and then followed Sheik out of the room. As I left, I heard Aryll yell, "Good luck big brother! I know you can do it!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is chapter two of my story! I hope you all enjoy, and remember, reviews are appreciated! They help me improve my writing and motivate me to continue.**

** Sunshine Muncher: I hope it lives up to your expectations!**

** edboy: Thank you very much!**

** ShadowNinja: I'm glad you liked the first chapter! Hopefully, you'll like this one just as much.**

**Chapter Two: The Job**

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After being stuck in a practical closed off hole in the ground, the first step outside can be somewhat, overwhelming. I'll never forget what it was like to take my first step out of the Arbiter's Ground. Immediately, when the doors sun flooded through like a divine light, almost blinding me. I shielded my eyes as the large stone doors were opened further, revealing the full majesty of the Gerudo Desert.

After letting my eyes adjust, I took a deep breath and stepped off of the stone floor and onto the hot sand. As I felt my foot sink into the natural terrain a broke down, falling to my knees and sobbing loudly.

I couldn't help myself; it was just so beautiful. The sun was no longer a blinding light, but a beautiful orb, bathing me with its healing rays. I picked up a handful of sand, feeling it fall between my fingers. I hadn't felt the sun since I was eight, playing in the fields in front of my fathers estate. This was it; I was finally out.

"Forester, lets get moving," Sheik barked, patting me on the back and pointing towards the carriage that was up ahead."

"I'm sorry," I sniffed, blushing in embarrassment as I stood up and wiped my eyes, "it's just… it's just that it's been so long since I've seen the sun."

"Well you can see the sun all you want after you do this job," Sheik told me encouragingly

I nodded and ran off towards the royal carriage, where my two employers, Tael and Tatl, awaited. When I approached the doors, they swung open, and Tael offered me his hand, helping me up into the cart. Once I was seated, Tatl motioned for the driver to get a move on.

I watched out the window as the Arbiter's Grounds shrunk into the distance, feeling a little more alive every foot I was away from that Goddess forsaken prison. But even with the distance, it still kept a part of me, keeping me chained to it no matter where I went. Once I finished the job, then I could fully appreciate the freedom I once enjoyed when I was younger.

"Doesn't it feel nice to be out of that dirty prison?" Tael asked, watching Arbiter's Ground fade away with me.

I sighed with relief, "You don't even know the half of it. So where are we heading?"

"The Great Sea," Tatl told me as she used a small kit to reapply her make up, "we will be pushing off at north Hyrule Dock."

"Wait, we're going out to sea?" I said skeptically, "But I don't have any experience sailing? Not that I'm complaining about this opportunity…"

"No Mr. Forester, this is not a sailing expedition," Tael cut me off

Tatl continued her brother's thought, as I quickly found was an annoying habit of theirs, "You will be going to the city Skyloft."

When I heard the word Skyloft, it felt as if an anvil had just crushed all my hopes. Sklyoft was the name of a mythical floating paradise, where only those most devoted to the Goddesses were allowed. My father had told me stories about Skyloft, how the grass was green and lush, and their technology was years ahead of ours. He also told me of a mystical power that was rumored to lay dormant within it. But it was all myths, tales that were told to entertain children.

"You want me to go to a mythical city?"

"Oh I assure you, Skyloft is no myth," Tael clucked, waggling his finger as if he were disapproving of my suspicious thoughts.

Tatl nodded in agreement, "Yes, Skyloft is very real."

"Alright," I sighed deciding to give into their wild claims, since it was my only chance of freedom, "What do I have to do?"

Tatl smiled and bent over, grabbing something from under her seat. She then pulled out a mahogany box with a gold plaque. Engraved on the plaque was 'For Link Forester'.

I took the box and placed it in my lap. It was pretty light, but there was obviously quiet a few things inside. Only a small clip kept the lid shut, so I flipped it up and checked the wooden box's contents. Inside were four strange items.

The first, and probably the least abnormal, was a sharp iron dagger. It looked fairly high quality and easy to conceal. The second item was a piece of paper with a picture of the wings of Hylia, a rupee, and a duel edged sword. The third item was a golden key with a picture of a bird and a birdcage on the handle. The last was another strange piece of paper with the most detailed and realistic picture of a young woman on it, who, from the drawing, looked about my age.

She was quite gorgeous, with golden blonde hair and cobalt blue eye. The woman wore a pink dress, with a white cloth wrapped around her neck. Her beautiful hair was done into two braids, each held together by purple string, wrapped in an intricate fashion. On here wrists were two amethyst colored bracelets with the wings of Hylia engraved on them. As I continued to examine the picture, I got the strange feeling that I had seen this girl somewhere.

Then it hit me, the eyes, the golden hair, the carefree smile, it was strikingly like a painting I had seen of the princess when I was seven. This had to be her. Even as a young woman, she kept those striking blue eyes and those same blonde locks.

"This is the lost princess, isn't it?"

Tatl smiled and clapped slowly, "Smart one, isn't he brother?"

"Indeed sister," Tael responded, giving his twin a wicked grin

I couldn't believe it. I was to save THE princess Zelda, the jewel of Hyrule. I didn't know whether to be honored because I was chosen for the job or terrified of its magnitude.

"You want me to save the princess?" I asked again, still in utter disbelief

"The deal is quite simple, really. Bring us the girl and, in exchange, we give you your freedom. Sound simple enough?"

Bring them the girl, and I get my freedom. That was the deal. So simply put, I couldn't even have imagined what I was about to get myself into. But if it meant my freedom, that's all the incentive I needed.

"So you want me to go to a city that I don't even know exists, for a princess that could very well be dead?"

"Well that's not a very good way of putting it," pouted Tatl

I decided that the woman was right, it was probably best to stay optimistic about my situation. After all, it was my only chance for freedom, so I didn't have many other options.

"Let us change the subject," Tael randomly suggested

"Yes, Mr. Forester, I assume you are an adept fighter?" Tatl asked me

I nodded. Years in prison had taught me to fend for myself. I was the one who had to beat off the perverts and psychopaths who threatened Malon and Aryll, and my dad taught me some moves as well. "I believe that I am a very adept fighter."

"Good, that may be something you need," Tael told him, "We have know idea how the people of Skyloft will react to an outsider."

"So that's where the knife comes in?"

"Yes, but only if necessary. I do not wish to partake in the slaughter of an entire city, if it can be avoided."

"I understand," I told them, putting the knife back its scabbard and placing it next to my seat. I hoped and prayed that it wouldn't come to violence. But whatever was keeping the princess didn't seem too intent on letting her go; otherwise she would have returned to their kingdom.

"Do you have any more questions, Mr. Forester?" Tatl asked with a yawn, "If not, I suggest you rest. You have a long journey ahead of you."

"I do have one. Why was I chosen for this job? Why did the king pick me and not one of his royal knights?"

Tatl and Tael looked nervously at each other, and then turned back to me. Tael cleared his throat and then answered, "You will find that out in good time Mr. Forester."

"But right now, you have a chance to give yourself and your sister a chance at life," Tatl continued, "Isn't that enough?"

I had to admit; I was a little annoyed by how they danced around my question. But in a way, they were right. I wasn't doing this for my country, but for my sister and myself. One can hardly blame me for not fiercely loving the kingdom that through my family and I in the Arbiter's Ground to rot.

"I have no more questions," I told the twins as I lay across my seat, pushing the knife to the floor of the carriage. I closed my eyes and let the small and smooth movements of the wagon lull me to sleep.

As I slept, I dreamt I was on my family's estate, running barefoot through the grass during a cloudless day. I could feel the soft ground beneath my feet, the warm sun hitting my face, and the soft wind brushing against my cheek. It was a perfect day.

As I ran through the lush green fields, I spotted a woman in a white cloak holding a shiny golden harp.

I tried to speak to her, but found I could not utter a word. So I decided to wave to her, trying to attract the beautiful maiden's attention. Finally, she turned towards me, but her face did not show, for her hood's shadow concealed it.

* * *

_"Greetings hero."_

I tried desperately to respond, but still could not say anything. Rather, all I could do was nod, giving her confirmation that her words had not fallen on deaf ears.

_"You have met a terrible fate, haven't you?"_ she spoke again in a silky smooth voice, sending shivers down my spine.

Again, I tried to tell her something, anything. What did she mean terrible fate? If anything, the goddesses were smiling down upon me. I should have been locked up in the worst place on earth at the moment, with no hope of escape.

_"My words confuse you, do they not?"_ she asked him in a purely indifferent tone, _"You believe that what lies ahead is a brighter future. Let me tell you, there are some things worse then what you have been through."_

I wanted to tell her that she knew nothing. I wanted to let her know that anything was better then where I had been put. But of course, being mute at the time, I could say nothing.

_"Tread carefully hero. Many have attempted the path you are about to take."_

I glared at her, trying to show that no matter what this woman told me, she would not cause me to stray from this path. My sister, Malon, and Colin depended on me, and Hylia as my witness I was not going to let them down! I managed a grunt of determination, holding up my clenched fist. The cloaked woman merely looked once in my direction, and then turned back away.

_"You are courageous and determined. I see know that you will not stray from this path. Good. If you are to venture to the once blessed city called Skyloft, you will need the will and strength of character to endure hardship."_

I nodded, giving the woman a confident smile. In return, she sighed, as if defeated, and tugged once on her horse's reins. The stallion whinnied, kicking its front feet into the air, and then galloped off, faster then I could follow. Who was that woman?

Once she disappeared from sight, I suddenly began to feel a searing pain in my right hand, as if someone had taken a branding iron to it. I cried out in pain and fell on my knees, clutching it tightly. When I looked to see what was wrong, I saw three bright, golden triangles glowing on the back of my hand.

The three triangles were put together to form a larger triangle, with two on the bottom and one on top. But one of the three was different than the others. The triangle on the right was fully engulfed with the golden light, while the others were just outlines.

The pain was almost unbearable. As the triangle glowed brighter, the pain only intensified. What did this mean; I thought to myself, am I cursed? Is this some sort of ancient marking?

Suddenly, a booming voice yelled down from the sky, "MR. FORESTER! WAKE UP MR. FORESTER!"

The three triangles on my hand stopped glowing as the field around me began to dissipate into nothingness.

* * *

I woke up panting, drenched in my own sweat. All I could think about was the strange dream I had, and the cloaked woman. Who was she? And what was that mark on my-

As soon as I remembered the mark on my hand I looked down at the back of my right hand, where the strange symbol had been. But when I checked, there was nothing there, my hand was bare as ever.

"He looks as if he's seen a ghost brother."

"Quite so, sister."

I looked up and saw the twins smirking mischievously at me. I noticed the cart had stopped, and I heard the sounds of waves washing up on the shore. We must have made it to the great sea!

"This is it, right?" I asked, making sure my assumption was indeed correct, "This is the Great Sea?"

"That it is, Mr. Forester," Tael answered as he opened the door for us. Both Tatl and I stepped out and waited for her brother, who closed the door behind him. Tael continued to speak as he stepped out of the carriage; "My sister and I will prepare the row boat while you prepare yourself. Once we push off, there is no going back."

"There is a bar in the nearby port town. Maybe you could get yourself something before we leave?"

I didn't know if the twins had realized that I had no rupees. Being locked in a prison your whole life doesn't exactly leave you with much to spend. But I decided to let them prepare for the voyage, since it was obvious they were trying to get rid of me.

The port town didn't take long to walk to, being only three minutes away from the docks. It was pretty small, with just a shop, an inn, and a quaint cottage.

The little inn Tatl and Tael had suggested was called 'Stock Pot Inn'. As I approached the door, I could almost feel heat permeating from it. The windows were well lit, with small candles on each sill.

When I walked in, I was immediately greeted by the friendly innkeeper with a hearty "Welcome traveler!"

I waved politely to her and walked up to the bar to sit down. The keeper bent down and pulled a cup from under the counter. She asked me in a sweet tone of voice, "What can I get for you?"

Now being stuck in a prison may have deprived me of some things, but alcohol was not one of them. The prisoners, being the sneaky criminals they were, constantly found a way to sneak in ale. They were usually able to bootleg a pretty good supply. Booze made criminals more volatile, and often led to riots and more death in an already violent prison. But, I admit to partaking in some drinking, despite Malon's constant scolding. It was hard to resist when you're stuck in a place where reality is a harsh truth.

"I'm afraid I don't have any money," I told her, not wanting the innkeeper to bother making something for someone who couldn't pay

The innkeeper looked over my tattered cloths and my multitude of scars with her dark blue eyes, as if trying to read me, and then said, "Count this one on the house, traveler. You look like you could use it."

I smiled gratefully, "Thank you…"

"Anju," she finished, brushing a lock of red hair behind her ear as she reached for a bottle of Pumpkin Ale, "So what brings you here?"

"I'm just here for a job," I told her, leaving out the part where I was in jail for the past decade or so. I figured that if she knew I was from the most infamous prison in Hyrule, I would be less welcome to stay.

"A job?" She asked as she handed me my glass, "What kind of job?"

"Just something to bring in some rupees."

"Seems like what you need more then anything is a change of cloths," Anju pointed at the tattered rags I had been wearing for the past two years. "I actually happen to have a spare outfit around here."

"Really? I'd be very grateful if I could borrow it!"

"Oh, absolutely! Here, let me get it for you, sweetheart," Anju told me with a sweet smile, disappearing into the kitchen. When she came back, she held a green tunic, white leggings, a pair of leather gauntlets, and a pair of brown boots. "Try these on!"

I found the outfit was unexpectedly light when I took it from her, even with the chainmail under the green tunic. Anju turned around and covered her eyes as I switched out of my prison outfit and into the cloths she had given me. I was surprised to find that the cloths fit me perfectly, and looked quite good.

"I'm changed." Anju turned around and smiled when she saw me.

"Those cloths used to be my husband's armor," she told me as she looked over the outfit, "but seeing as my poor Kafei is gone, he won't be needing it anymore."

"I love it," I said, turning around so Anju could see the whole thing.

Anju nodded, but was still scowling as if something was off. "Something is missing…"

I gave her a quizzical look. What could have possibly been missing? The outfit was comfortable, functional, and looked fine. Anju suddenly snapped and exclaimed, "That's it! I know what you're missing!"

She reached under the counter and pulled out a long green hat. Anju handed it to me and watched expectantly as I tried it on. When she saw the complete knight's outfit, a wide smile crossed her face. "That's perfect! You look like you were born to wear it!"

I had to admit, Anju was right. The hat did top off the outfit nicely, plus it fit my head perfectly. It was definitely the best I've looked in a long time, and it felt good to be in clean cloths for once.

"Now you take care of that," Anju told me sternly, waggling her finger at me, "It was Kafei's second favorite!"

That was the second time she mentioned Kafei, her husband who I assumed had passed away in the line of duty. I didn't ask her about it, because it seemed like a sore subject. After all, I knew what it was like to lose a loved one. My parent's death was not an experience that I would share with some stranger. But then again, I was must less trusting then Anju seemed.

The two of us stayed silent for a bit as I drank my Pumpkin Ale, savoring its sweet taste with each sip. As I enjoyed my drink, I heard the door swing open behind me. I turned around and saw both Tatl and Tael walk in. Tael seemed to have a rather joyful look, while Tatl, who was sopping wet, was glaring murderously at her brother.

I raised my glass to them and asked, "What happened?"

"Brother thought it would be funny to push me in the water."

"It was funny sister, you must admit."

"T'will be even more funny when I throw you to the sharks during our trip."

I groaned as the two continued to bicker. After they began exchanging obscenities, I finally intervened, "TAEL, TATL! Is it time to go?"

The twins turned away from each other, and gave me an innocent smile. In unison, they answered, "Of course Mr. Forester! Let us get going!"

I sighed with relief and stood up from my stool. Turning towards Anju, I said, "Thank you for the cloths and drink Anju."

"Anything to help a kind hearted traveler," she responded, curtsying slightly

I then followed the twins out of the Stock Pot Inn and to the docks, where a single rowboat bobbed up and down in the water. The moon only made the dock barely visible, so I had to walk carefully, making sure to not accidently meet the same fate poor Tatl had.

Tael was the first to step in the boat, from which he helped the rest of us board, being extra careful not to upset his sister once again. I felt myself stumble a couple times as I tried to take my seat, behind the twins. It was the first time I had actually been on a boat, so the feeling was a bit overwhelming. But by the time Tatl and Tael managed to untie the boat from the dock and push off, I was able to get a hold of my stomach.

"Get yourself comfortable Mr. Forester," Tael called as he began to row, "It will be a bit of time before we reach our destination!"

**A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed, and remember to leave a review, they really help!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter three is now up, hope you all enjoy! Remember, reviews are always appreciated. They help motivate me and sometimes give me new ideas. Thanks!**

** Itansha: I hope to provide a certain depth, and hopefully it won't disappoint you. But I am not a professional writer, so don't expect it to be AS deep as Bioshock.**

** GrassyNol: Did you read the description? I said it was based off of infinite.**

** ShadowNinja: Well, hopefully it meets your expectations!**

** Leina: Thank you! I'm having fun writing this.**

**Chapter Three: The City in the Sky**

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Riding with Tatl and Tael in the rowboat had been my first time our on the ocean. It was already a terrifying experience enough, with each wave looking as if it would spell doom upon our poor vessel. But at the same time I was experiencing my first voyage at sea, I was also experiencing my first storm at sea. I always thought myself to be a courageous man, but each bolt of lightning sent me shivering like a scared animal. Tatl and Tael didn't seem bothered by the storm at all, although they were a bit… odd.

The two had not even acknowledged the storm or the roaring waves. Not once did the mighty winds of the sea bring out a single flinch. Rather, the two spent the whole voyage arguing about rowing, of all things!

"Are you going to just sit there?" Tael would ask his sister as he put his back into rowing.

Tatl would simply cock her head to the side and respond, "As opposed to what? Standing?"

"Not standing, _rowing_," Tael would then groan, making his tired state painstakingly obvious.

"Rowing?" Tatl would laugh, "Hadn't planned on it!"

"So you expect me to shoulder the burden?" Tael would complain, glaring angrily at his lazy sister.

"I do expect you to do all the rowing."

Tael would groan again, and ask her, "Why is that?"

Tatl would then repeat the point she had made five times before, "Because this was your idea! You were too cheap to hire a ferry. Plus, I made very clear I don't believe in the exercise."

"The rowing?"

Tatl laughed evilly, "No, I imagine that's wonderful exercise!"

"Then what?" Tael would whine again

"This entire quest."

Finally, after the eighth time this conversation had run its course, I decided to interrupt them. "Excuse me," I snapped, fed up with their constant back and forth, "How long till we get there?"

Of course, the two ignored me, and went on with their normal fighting. "One goes into a quest _knowing_ one may fail."

Tatl crossed her arms angrily and sneered, "One does NOT undertake a quest knowing one has failed."

I was a bit curious by what Tatl had meant. Had they sent others before me to retrieve the lost princess? I decided to just tune out their argument, as anything they would say would either discourage me or annoy me. I took out the wooden box they had given me in the carriage and looked through its contents again. It still held the key, the strange drawings, and the picture of the princess. Nothing was missing.

"Can we just get back to the rowing," Tael grumbled, letting loose another annoyed sigh.

"I suggest you do," Tatl pouted, giving him a smug look, "or we're never going to get there."

"NO, I mean I would greatly appreciate it if you could assist!" Tael yelled, almost throwing down the oars in frustration.

Tatl rolled her eyes at her brother's whining. She then pointed at me and suggested, "Why don't you ask him to row? I imagine he has a greater interest in getting there than I do."

Like hell I was rowing.

"I suppose he does, but there's no point in asking him."

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE HE DOESN'T ROW!"

"He doesn't row?"

"No, he DOESN'T row."

"Ah, I see what you mean."

By then, I had completely lost track of their conversation. They were spouting nonsense and I wanted nothing of it. Those two were mad, utterly mad. And there I was, stuck in the middle of their insanity.

I turned towards the stormy horizon and noticed a large shape looming in the distance, veiled by rain and fog. As we got closer, the shape became more and more definite. It wasn't long until the object was completely visible.

My jaw dropped when I saw just what we were heading towards. It was a giant statue of the goddess, Hylia. I couldn't even comprehend how someone could have built it this far out at sea, but all I could think was 'wow'.

Shortly after the statue came into sight, a small dock in front of the statue became visible. Tael rowed the boat in closer to the worn down pier carefully, making sure not to run us into the jagged rocks surrounding the small island.

"We're here," Tatl told me as we pulled up beside the dock and lassoed the boat to one of the wooden posts.

As I was about to leave, Tael suddenly grabbed my shoulder and said, "Wait!"

I turned around and saw him holding out a sleek, blue ocarina. "You're going to need this!"

"But I don't even know how to play the ocarina!" I yelled over the storm

"Just take it!" Tatl snapped, "And please get out while you're at it! I'd rather not be stuck in this storm for any longer!"

I shrugged and took the ocarina from his hands, pocketing in a built in pouch that the tunic had.

The twins both looked at me impatiently, waiting for me to step off their boat. I took one look at them, and then the goddess statue.

This was it.

I grabbed the ladder that was attached to the side of the dock and climbed on up, holding on tight so that the crashing waves didn't knock me off. Once I had made my way up onto the pier, Tatl and Tael cut the line and immediately began rowing off.

"Shall we tell him when we're returning?" I heard Tatl ask her brother

"Wouldn't do much, would it?"

"It might give him some comfort."

"Well at least that's something we can agree on."

I found myself growing more nervous by the second with my situation. What if the king had just sent me out here to die? Had I made a horrible mistake?

"HEY!" I called out, praying that one of them could here my voice, "Someone's coming to meet me, right?"

"I certainly hope so?" Tael cackled mischievously

"It does seem like such a horrible place to be stranded," Tatl added, only making me feel worse about my predicament.

I let out a deep sigh as the rowboat disappeared into the stormy waters, leaving me alone in the middle of the sea. Tatl was right; this would be a dreadful place to be stranded.

I decided that standing around doing nothing wasn't going to do me much good, so I went to check out the giant goddess statue. As I got closer, I saw that there was a flight of stairs spiraling around it, leading all the way to the top, where the goddess held out her hands like a platform. Maybe I would find whoever was supposed to contact me there.

I began to make my way up the stairs, clutching my hat tightly so it didn't blow off in the intense winds. Huge raindrops drilled against me as I climbed upward, as if nature didn't want me to reach the top. But I kept moving, ignoring battering rain and the howling winds. Nothing was going to stop me from getting my freedom, nothing.

There were even a couple times were I slipped, almost falling off the stairs and into the roaring ocean. That didn't deter me, though. I kept climbing those stone stairs, one foot after another, keeping my mind on the ultimate goal.

"I won't let you end my quest before it's even begun!" I yelled to the skies, as if challenging the goddesses

After a couple more minutes of battling the storm, I finally reached the platform at the top. It was a smooth, square slab of marble that lay resting flat on the goddess's caring hands. I turned to face the goddess, who was smiling down at me with stone cold eyes.

As I looked around, I realized I was completely alone. Nothing else was up here other then a smaller statue of a loftwing, a type of mythical bird. Having no better ideas, I decided to approach the statue.

It was intricately designed, much like the goddess statue it lay upon. As I got closer, I was able to make out some sort of carving on its foundation, which the marble loftwing sat upon. I squinted, wiping off the area in question with my tunic so I could read it more properly.

It looked as if the writing was in ancient hylian, a language lost to most everyone in Hyrule. I had never heard anyone speak a bit of it, and had only seen it a few times in the Arbiter's Ground, since the prison was as ancient as Hyrule itself.

This was juuuust great. I didn't know the first thing about reading ancient languages. Hell it was a miracle I was able to read coming from my background. But, never the less, I decided to give it a shot.

"En daʃeʋu nobe̞ ʃo̞ndʊ, tʏe ʃʊtʊ keuænu sale̞ En daʃeʋu nobe̞ dʊʃʊ, tʏe ʃʊtʊ nobe̞ dezu dotʃe̞!" I read out loud

Suddenly, the whole statue began to shake, throwing me off balance and onto the marble floor. I watched in fear as beams of light began to burst from the statue, illuminating the night sky.

I shielded my eyes as more and more light flooded through, making the statue more difficult to look at. As I held my hands in front of my face, I noticed that three golden triangles began to glow on the back of my right hand.

It I cried out in pain as the triangles began to glow more violently along with the statue.

What the hell was going on?

Then, a large surge of light shot out from the statue, reaching all the way up to the sky, parting the clouds as it went through. The winds around me grew even stronger, to the point where I almost felt myself being lifted off the ground.

I gritted my teeth and did my best to stay grounded, ignoring the searing pain coming from my right hand. I wobbled up to my feet and slowly made my way towards the beam that the statue was emitting.

As I walked closer and closer towards the light, the winds picked up. The knife that had once been attached to my belt whipped off, flying off into the great maw of the sea.

"Damn it!" I cried, reaching for its hilt as it slipped from my grasp

But there was no time to cry over the lost knife. I continued to move on, pushing my way through the winds and towards the light.

Finally I was within arms length of it. I reached my hand out shakily, moving it towards the light, sweating profusely as I did.

"Come on…" I growled, trying to keep my feet on the marble for just a little longer.

As soon as I touched the light, I was forcefully sucked into the beam. The bright light blinded me as I was engulfed, knocking me out almost instantly.

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_"Link, do you fear divine power?"_

_"No, but I'm terrified of those who wield it."_

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My eyes began to flutter open, and I felt a painful throbbing in my head.

What had just happened? Last thing I remembered, I was entering the light and the next-

"KAWWWW!"

I shot upright, startled by the sudden sound. When I looked around, I spotted a large red bird standing next to me, its head cocked to the side curiously.

"Oh," I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly, "I didn't see you there big guy!"

The bird let out another KAW and bobbed its head happily.

"Did you save me?" I asked as I reached my hand out to it, seeing if it would allow me to stroke its crimson plumage.

The bird moved its head back at first; seemingly nervous by my direct approach, but then it bent down its head, nuzzling the palm of my hand.

The feathers on the top of its head were soft as silk, and were soothing to the touch. I had never seen such a majestic bird. Could this be an actual Loftwing, like the statue I had seen before.

I felt strangely connected to this bird as I stroked its feathers, like I had known it for my entire life. It looked as if the bird felt the same as well, seeing as how compliant it was to my advances.

"Thank you," I told it, "I don't know if I'd still be living without you."

The Loftwing fluttered its wings happily, but then suddenly turned its attention away from me. I turned to where it was looking and saw another Loftwing flying towards us, but there was something different about it.

I squinted at it and noticed that there was a man riding on it. When the man got closer, he began to wave and yell, "HEY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT!"

He landed his loftwing, which was grey and looked as if it had… a pompadour?

When the man stepped off and was in full sight, I realized that the two had matching hairstyles. I had to try hard to control myself as I silent snickered at the bird and its master.

The man looked at me curiously, as if he had no idea what I thought was so funny. "Hey, I saw you falling from the sky. Thank God your loftwing managed to catch you, or you'd be in real trouble."

"Yeah… my loftwing," I responded nervously, trying to play it off as if I was just a normal citizen.

"Well, it looks like you hit your head pretty hard on the landing," the man said, pointing at my forehead. I reached up and felt my head, and found that I indeed had a cut running across my forehead, nothing too deep though.

"Oh, I guess I did." The man looked at me suspiciously and asked, "Well, do you need any help getting back?"

"No," I answered, "But it seems as if the fall did knock a few memories loose. If you don't mind me asking, where are we?"

The man's suspicious frown suddenly changed into a bright smile. He clapped me on the back and laughed, "Why, you're in paradise, of course! Or at least the closest we will ever get! Yes, this here is Skyloft!"

Skyloft. I couldn't believe it. The city of mortal angels, where the clouds meet the land, it was here in front of me. I looked out and saw hundreds of huge floating islands, riddled with towers and other buildings. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I saw specs of people flying around it happily on their loftwings. I saw islands with beautiful forests and sparkling waterfalls. Balloons floated around the islands, carrying all different kinds of shops.

But the most noticeable feature was the huge floating statue of an angel with its wings unfurled and its arms held out.

"Are you sure you can ride your loftwing back on your own," pompadour asked me as he mounted his bird once again.

"No thanks!" I answered

I waved to the strange man as his bird flapped its wings and took of back towards the central hub. It seemed as if there was only one way to navigate through Skyloft.

"So, is there any chance you might allow me to ride you," I asked the crimson loftwing next to me.

The bird cocked its head to the side for a bit, as if it were contemplating it. Then, it bent down gracefully, allowing me to step onto its back.

I was initially surprised at how open it was to having someone riding it. Perhaps it had been trained before hand, and it was merely acting upon what it had learned from its original master.

Carefully, I stepped onto it, wrapping my arms around it gently and hugging it closely. The loftwing let out a loud CAW and flapped its wings once or twice. Then, we were off.

While sailing for the first time might have been a terrifying, heart-stopping experience for me, flying was nothing short of the best time of my life. I have never felt freer then I did holding onto that majestic bird, wind whipping through my hair as I soared through the clouds.

I couldn't help but shout out happily, my hands up in the sky as I felt the true extent of freedom. And even though I expected controlling the loftwing to be difficult, it was incredibly easy.

The bird and I seemed connected, as if he knew my every thought. If I wanted to turn, he would comply immediately, without me even having to utter a word.

Only after circling in the sky a couple times did I decide to fly towards the group of islands that made up Skyloft.

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**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a review, they really help!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Fourth chapter up! I hope you all enjoy. Remember to leave a review!**

** Shadow: Thanks! Hope you like this next one.**

** SunshineMuncher: I like your username. It makes me giggle.**

** GrassyNol: Don't worry, this won't be a complete mind fuck like infinite was. (There will still be some twists, though)**

** HeatBlizzard: Lol, I never knew there was a loftwing license.**

**Chapter Four: Carnival**

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During my short time in Skyloft, I learned many things about the floating Eden. The first and foremost was that they were very religious.

Now I considered myself pretty religious. Back in the prison, there wasn't much to hold onto other then the hope for a bright afterlife. But I could never have the mental fortitude and commitment that they had. I'm pretty sure everyone there could be considered a zealot at the very least.

Right when my loftwing landed, I was immediately greeted by a fanfare of music and greeters. Priests of the goddess came and adorned me with religious paraphernalia, such as spiritual necklaces and Hylian lilies.

The smell of incense was almost intoxicating. I breathed in the scent happily, letting the smoke of each candle calm my nerves. My loftwing, on the other hand, did not like the smell at all. Right when he dropped me off, he flapped his wings and took of, not even taking a second to look back.

"Goodbye to you too," I joked as the crimson bird flew off into the clouds.

As I made my way out of the loftwing docking station, three Hylian priests, all in full robes, greeted me. Their garbs slightly reminded me of that which the mysterious woman wore in my dreams. They lined up in front of me, blocking my way out into the rest of Skyloft.

"Is something the matter?" I asked them suspiciously

They were silent for a couple seconds, and then the one in the middle stepped forward. "We sense that you have yet to be baptized in the light of our Goddess, Hylia."

"That is untrue," I snapped, a bit miffed that they would question my loyalty to my goddess, "I was baptized before the end of my first year."

"But where you truly baptized?" I gave them a confused look. I truly had no idea what they meant. The middle priest glared at me and asked, "Well child?"

"Yes! And how dare you question my loyalty to the great Hylia!"  
I began bluffing, hoping that my false confidence would convince them that I had performed whatever ritual they meant. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the three priests weren't having any of it.

"Just know, brother" the middle said, spitting the word brother as if it were poison, "If we find you are lying to us, there will be grave consequences. Skyloft is not for the uncommitted."

The three then moved to the side, letting me by. I watched them nervously as I passed them cautiously.

"I have to be more careful," I mumbled to myself as I walked off, "especially since I don't have a knife anymore."

I noticed that the three priests were still watching me, examining my every move as if I were some sort of demon. How did they know I wasn't from here? Everyone else looked Hylian, just like me!

I knew that it was best to keep my guard up and stay under the radar. No more flashy entrances on that crimson loftwing.

I kept my head down as I explored Skyloft a bit, trying to blend in with the crowds.

As far as I could tell at the time, Skyloft seemed to live up to its reputation. The place was practically paradise!

Everywhere there were laughing children chasing beautiful blue butterflies, while their happy parents watched from park benches. Every tree and every bush was speckled with gorgeous flowers.

Smaller birds were chirping as I strolled through the park, observing the city around me. What reason could this city possibly have for holding the princess captive? Everyone seemed so happy and friendly. People were dancing and singing to Hylia as they ate fresh fruit and the finest cuts of meat.

There seemed to be no poverty, no violence, and no animosity towards one another. If I didn't have a family to go back to, I would have wanted to live there.

I mentally slapped myself. I had to stay on track; Aryll was depending on me.

"Now, where to?" I asked myself

Unfortunately, Tatl and Tael had not been all that helpful. They had not told me where exactly in this city I would find the lost princess, just that she was here somewhere. I assumed that Skyloft would be small enough that I could easily find where she was being held. That just wasn't the case.

Skyloft was spread out for acres, each island being the size of castle town, possibly even larger! There was no way I was going to find one person in the entire city!

As I thought, I wandered around aimlessly, trying to find a place to start my search. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going or what I might be walking into.

A large bulky arm suddenly stopped me in my tracks, knocking me to the ground as I walked into it. I looked up and saw a Skyloft soldier standing in front of me, giving me an angry glare.

"I'm so sorry sir," I apologized, laughing nervously and blushing profusely

The man's angry face then fell, and was replaced with a toothy smile. He then held out his hand and helped me up off the ground. "Gotta be careful there, citizen," he chuckled heartily, "You almost walked right off the edge!"

I looked at my path and saw that the bridge to the next island had not yet extended. What an idiot. "Deepest apologies for worrying you! I will look out next time!"

"It is no problem. People sometimes get a little too excited about the festival and forget where they're walking."

"Festival?" I asked, figuring it would be good to get as much information about this place as possible.

The soldier raised his eyebrow at me, "Of course? Don't tell me you forgot! Today is the day where all the strongest young men in Skyloft attempt to draw the sword from its pedestal! Why, I believe my son is giving it a shot this year."

"No one has been able to draw it yet?"

"No one," he answered with a shake of his head

This was an interesting tradition. Maybe if I went to a popular ceremony, the princess might be there, I thought.

"Well, the bridge is up now," the soldier told me, pointing towards the now connected bridge, "Why don't you go check it out?"

"I'll do that. Thank you!" I waved to him as I ran off to join the crowd of people crossing.

I assumed that most these people were going to the same thing, so I decided to just stick with them. After all, I wouldn't have wanted to call attention to myself.

As I walked with the crowd towards the 'sword in the stone' I got to check out some of the other games they had up. They had some ring toss stations set up, along with an archery competition, and a full bar, complete with the finest Ale.

An especially interesting device that was being pitched was something called the 'camera'. Apparently, this device could paint a perfect picture in seconds by using a special paper called film. Maybe that was where my picture of the princess came from.

"Try your luck and spin the wheel!" I heard a man shout to his adoring crowd, "You could win fabulous amounts of gold, or a day with the most beautiful woman in Skyloft, duchess Veran herself!"

I looked over towards the wheel game and saw an attractive red head standing next to a man in a large top hat. It was safe to assume that the read head was the duchess and the man in the top hat was the one running these games.

"I look forward to see my winner," the duchess said to the crowd, giving a promiscuous wink.

On any other day, I would have tried to win a day with that beauty, but I had a mission. So I kept moving following the biggest crowd towards the sword ceremony, ignoring the duchess and her male followers.

Later, as I continued to follow the crowd, I noticed some strange posters that made me a little uneasy. They were not wanted posters; Skyloft was practically desolate of crime. They weren't advertisements either. They were simply warnings.

The first was a picture of a large shadowy bird, perhaps some variation on a loftwing. It read 'Helmaroc King is Always Watching.'

The whole message was unnerving in itself, not to mention the giant bird was quite intimidating. But I figured that it was some sort of religious metaphor.

The second poster was definitely the scariest out of the two. It read, 'Look out for the sign of the Anarchist, for he is our enemy."

But the message wasn't the part that worried me. It was the picture that went along with it. Drawn on the poster was the back of a right hand. On the hand were three golden triangles, with the bottom right one filled out. It was the same exact symbol that had appeared on my hand.

Instinctively, I held out my hand, comparing it to the picture. It seemed as if the symbol had disappeared for the time being. I hoped that it would not soon return.

Was it possible that they knew I was coming?

"No, they couldn't have," I told myself, trying to get a grip, "There's no way…"

By the time I had finished examining the different posters, I noticed that the crowd was completely gone. Quickly as I could, I followed the path I had been taking, hoping that it was a straight shot to the ceremony.

As I went down the road, the sound of loud chanting became more apparent.

"MARTH, MARTH, MARTH, MARTH, MARTH, MARTH!"

Finally, I came across a small grove, where a throng of men and women were surrounded around one spot. From the middle of the crowd, I heard grunting and frustrated growling.

Was this the ceremony? There was only one way to find out.

I pushed my way into the group of people, much to their protest, and made my way into the middle. When I was further into the crowd, I saw a blue haired young man, about the same age as I, working to pulling the hilt of a sword, whose blade was driven deep into a rectangular stone.

"MATH, MARTH, MARTH, MARTH!" the crowd continued to chant, pumping their fists, whooping, and cheering for the young man.

After a couple more seconds of pulling and angry yells, the young man, presumably Marth, let go. His fans let out a disappointed "awwwwww" as he backed away from the sword.

"Now, now, people," he said with a confident smile, "That sword's been stuck in there since Skyloft was founded. You can't expect too much from me."

Everyone laughed at Marth's joke except me. I was a little annoyed by his confidence.

Another man in a top hat stepped out of the crowd and gave Marth a warm pat on the back. "Well you gave it your best shot. Let's hear it for Marth, our maiden's protector!"

Again, the crowd roared with praise for the blue haired boy, who simply smiled and waved. Once the noise had died down, the man in the top hat asked us, "Would anyone else like to try? Come now, it's free! We won't laugh at you!"

When no one volunteered, he began to scan the crowd. Immediately, I looked down, trying to avoid eye contact, lest I bring attention to myself.

"Hey you!"

Please don't mean me, I thought.

"C'mon, you in the green, give her a try!"

Goddess damn it.

I stepped out of the crowd; giving the best fake smile I could to mask my nervousness. The man in the top hat put his arm around me and guided me over to the sword. "Now the rules are simple, you get one whole minute to try and pull our legendary master sword," he pointed over towards the sword, "out of the stone! No one's ever done it before, so no pressure!"

What was the worst that could happen? I would fail and feel fairly humiliated? In the end, I decided that it couldn't hurt to give it one try.

"What's your name, son?" he asked me as I stepped up to the sword.

"Link," I answered

The man in the top hat turned to the crowd and yelled out, "LET'S HERE IT FOR LINK!"

"LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK!"

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the task. Then, I grabbed the sword by the hilt.

Instantly, I felt a surge of power rush through me, as if the sword had reacted to my touch. It was as if someone had given me Hylia's blessing of strength through the sword.

With a powerful heave, I closed my eyes and yanked the sword upward.

The crowd suddenly went dead quiet, except for a couple gasps. At first, I couldn't quite understand the silence, but when I opened my eyes, I could instantly see why.

There, in my hands, in full view, was the master sword. I brought it closer, examining its shiny blade and its jewel-encrusted hilt. It was unreal.

"My God…" the man in the top hat gaped, his smile replaced with an expression of utter shock and awe, "You… you pulled it out…"

Deciding that being inconspicuous was no longer an option, I decided to give the crowd a show. I raised the sword high into the air, which drew loud cries of praise from the people.

Just as things seemed as if they would work out, I felt a sudden pain in my right hand.

No, damn it, not now!

A small pulse of light came from my hand, causing the crowd's shouts of adoration to transform into screams of terror. The back of my hand started to glow violently, and then, three golden triangles began to form.

The crowd gasped as they saw the sign of the anarchist, blatantly advertized on my hand.

A soldier ran up and grabbed my right hand and showed it to the man in the top hat. Once the man got a good look, he turned to me and sneered, "Well, well, where'd you get that brand? Don't you know that makes you the traitorous, chaos hungry, Anarchist?" He then turned to the crowd and shouted, "AND WE AREN'T LETTING ANY ANARCHIST INTO OUR FAIR CITY, ARE WE?"

The entire crowd cried out for my blood, they all wanted my head on a plate.

I began to struggle against the soldier's grip, trying to break free when I heard a voice in my head warn, "_Master, behind you!"_

I whirled around and saw another soldier about to drive his axe sword into my neck. With speed I never even knew I had, I ducked under the blade, causing the soldier to accidently slice open the throat of the man holding me.

Seeing my window of opportunity, I used the temporary distraction to drive my sword into the belly of the other soldier, killing him almost instantly.

"Stop him!" I heard the people scream as the retreated as fast as they could.

I decided to take a clue from them and sprinted off before more soldiers could arrive on the scene. Great Hylia, what had I gotten myself into?

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As I ran from dozens of Skyloft soldiers, all I could think was, how the hell had it gone so wrong?

Everything seemed to be working out so well, until I drew that accursed sword. Now, I was the most wanted man in Skyloft. Completing this mission would now be close to impossible.

I didn't even know where I was going. I simply followed the directions that were given to me by the strange voice in my head.

_"Turn here master."_ It would command me as I dodged past volleys of incoming arrows.

_"Take a right master."_

_"Keep going straight master."_

_"Drop down here master."_

I had no idea who this voice was, but it seemed to be helping me evade the soldiers, so I trusted it. There weren't many options in my situation, so I figured it was either follow the voice and hope to Hylia that it was benevolent.

_"Master, there is a ninety five percent chance you will come across three armed men at this next turn,"_ it informed me as I tore down the street, _"I suggest disposing them as soon as possible so that their comrades are not allowed to gain much distance."_

Sure enough, the voice was right. Three armored soldiers stood at a fork in the path, holding tower shields and longswords.

"HALT!" they shouted in unison as I charged on forward.

But I did not head their warning.

With skill I didn't even know I had, I took three long strides and jumped clean over them. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I lunged at their open backs, slashing across them and knocking them to the ground.

_"Continue down the left path master."_

I followed the voices directions before the downed soldiers could get up. As I continued down the road, I shouted to myself, or, rather, the voice in my head, "Who are you?"

_"Forgive me for not introducing myself," it answered hastily, "but there are more important tasks at hand. Once you are able to find a safe area, then I will explain everything."_

The voice hadn't steered me wrong so far, so I just let the name swapping go like she had said.

The soldiers seemed to appear less often as time went on. I hoped that they had forgotten about me, but after the show I put on, I knew it couldn't be true.

There was a large bush off to the side of the path, which I decided might be a good place to catch my breath. I looked around to see if the coast was clear, and when I saw there was no one watching, I jumped into the bush.

Breathing heavily, I peeked through the leaves to try and find a building where I might be able to seek refuge.

_"I suggest the Lumpy Pumpkin."_

I looked around and saw a small pumpkin shaped bar across a nearby bridge, on its own little island. In front of the bridge stood two soldiers, both of them armed with deadly looking crossbows.

_"Master, use stealth to eliminate the two, and then continue to the pumpkin. Make sure you are not spotted, or they may disconnect the bridge."_

"All right, stealth," I murmured to myself as I analyzed the situation to find the best possible path.

Swiftly and quietly, I dove across the street into the bushes next to the guard on the right. Thankfully, he seemed unaware of my movement, most likely chalking the rustling leaves up to the breeze.

I waited for the guard on the left side of the bridge to turn the other way, and then struck. Lunging out from the foliage, I cupped my hand around the mouth of the soldier and drove my blade through him. Once I was sure he was dead, I dragged him to the bushes next to me.

To dispose of the second soldier, I picked up his dead comrade's crossbow and aimed it towards him. I fired three bolts, each of them managing to land a hit on his neck.

As the guard fell to the ground, I looked at the crossbow in astonishment. I had never shot one in my life, yet I was able to handle the weapon like a professional. It was just like my strange newfound swordplay skills.

I strapped the crossbow to my back, along with the sword, and moved out of cover, running towards the Lumpy pumpkin as fast as I could. Once I reached its door, I threw it open and slammed it shut behind me, leaning against it and panting heavily. Slowly a slid down to the ground and buried my face in my hands. "How am I supposed to do this now?" I moaned, feeling rather pitiful.

"Oh good, you got the sword. I was worried you would miss it."

My head quickly shot up after hearing the voice. Standing in front of me, with wide smiles plastered on their faces, were Tatl and Tael.

"How did you get up here?" I demanded angrily, storming straight up to them.

"How did we get up here?" Tatl laughed, "How did you get up here?"

I felt like tearing my hair out in frustration. "He seems rather mad sister."

"Why did you not warn me about the sword if you knew what was going to happen?" I yelled at them, trying to force them back on subject

Tatl just looked at me as if I was an idiot. "Because then you wouldn't have picked it up."

"Of course I wouldn't have, if I knew it would cause the entire city to turn on me!"

"Yes," chuckled Tael, "They always do."

"What do you mean?"

Tatl slapped her brother and gave him a stern look. Tael seemed to realize that he had done something wrong and quickly told me, "What I meant to say was that the sword was an important part of the quest."

"How so?" I asked, tapping my foot impatiently

"It's the one that knows where the princess is, after all," Tatl chimed in

It's the one that knows where the princess is? Wait, I thought.

I drew the sword and looked at it carefully. Was it the one that was talking to me this whole time?

Suddenly, a small orb of light burst from the jewel on the hilt and began to fly around me. It then began to glow even brighter and took the form of a strange purple and blue woman.

_"Greetings master,"_ it bowed respectfully to me, _"I may now safely introduce myself. I am Fi, the spirit of this sword."_

"Wait, my sword is alive?" I gaped in disbelief

"Not your sword, Mr. Forester," corrected Tael, "but the spirit that lives in it. That sword is very special."

"It contains power unlike any other in the world," Tatl continued

"Crafted by the goddess Hylia, herself."

"Bestowed with the power of the three holy flames."

"The master sword," they both said in unison.

Looking down at the sword, I thought, I knew there was something strange about this sword. The surge of power I felt must have been my mark reacting to its magical properties.

I then realized that, since Tatl and Tael were here, I could ask them what the mark on the back of my hand meant. But when I looked up, they were both gone. The only one left with me was Fi, who was still floating in front of me.

"Where did they go?" I asked her, hoping that she could give me some helpful insight just like before. Unfortunately, Fi simply responded, _"I am sorry master, but I do not know."_

"It's fine," I said to her, slightly annoyed by the mysterious twin's disappearance, "It's not like they are much use anyways…"

_"Would you like me to locate the lost princess for you?"_ Fi offered

I nodded, and she morphed back into a small orb of light and dove into the sword. _"Continue out the back entrance of the Lumpy Pumpkin,_" she told me, _"And I will direct you from there."_

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**A/N: I hope everyone liked the chapter! Remember to leave a review, and favorite if you really like it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Fifth chapter now up! I hope you all enjoy it, and please remember to leave a review! It helps me write when i hear feedback.**

** Mika: I figured the two worlds would mesh together well. I hope you continue reading!**

** Itansha: The next one is right here! Sorry, I try to put these up as soon as possible, but my family has been traveling a lot lately so I have trouble finding the time.**

**Chapter Five: Most Wanted**

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After spending only twenty minutes with Fi, it was already clear she was much more helpful then my past companions, the troubling twins. While she did have a habit of stating the obvious, she was quite useful.

When the blue spirit wasn't directing me towards Zelda, she was helping me sneak past soldiers or giving me tips in combat. With her ability to predict the outcome of every situation with pinpoint accuracy, and her constant guidance, it was no wonder we made such fast progress.

In almost no time, we had reached the edge of the island I had been trapped on.

"Wow," I panted, bending over to catch my breath, "That actually went pretty well."

_"Of course, master, I simply calculated the route that was most likely to result in the least amount of confrontations."_

I walked onto the wooden dock, where a strange sort of ship was attached. It looked like part of a carriage had been latched onto the bottom of a large balloon.

_"Master,"_ Fi told me, flying over to the strange air ship, _"We can use this blimp to continue our journey."_

"That's what this strange machine is called?" I slid open the door and carefully stepped inside. The balloon seemed to be able to hold up my weight, only bobbing slightly when I stepped in.

I looked around inside the 'blimp' trying to find some manner of controlling it. After a bit of searching, I came across a large door with the label, 'cockpit' over it.

"This has to be it," I told myself, grabbing the handle and pulling it open.

Inside the cockpit, I found what looked like a ship's steering wheel, along with a rope hanging down from the top. Over in one of the corners was a small shrine to the Goddess, with a woman dressed in ceremonial garbs praying in front of it.

Fi immediately flew next to the woman and suggested, _"Master, I advise disposing of this threat as soon as possible."_

I glared at the sword spirit, "I'm not killing an innocent woman!" I placed my hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry mam, I won't harm you."

The woman didn't respond, rather continued to pray quietly. I decided to leave her alone, since she was probably scared enough.

_"Master, I must insist you dispose of the threat."_ Ignoring FI, I walked over to the blimp's controls.

"Just help me fly this!"

Fi nodded obediently and flew next to me._ "The steering wheel controls the direction this vessel faces. Pulling the rope will move it up and forward."_

"Alright." I took a deep breath, hoping the blimp would not somehow erupt into flames, and pulled the rope. The sound of fire roared above me and the blimp began to move forward.

"So where are we going," I asked FI

_"Your princess is being held in the Goddess statue,"_ She informed me, pointing towards the large golden statue I had spotted on my way in.

"So I just have to get to the floating goddess statue, rescue the princess, and then use this blimp to get back down to Hyrule?"

Fi nodded hesitantly, as if something was bothering her._ "Yes, master… that would be the general idea…"_

I raised my eyebrow suspiciously. What was she so upset about? "Fi, is something wrong?"

_"Nothing master, I am just what you humans call… worried."_

"What worries you?" I asked

The sword spirit shook her head and told me, _"It is nothing master. Let us continue towards the princess."_

I simply shrugged and went back to controlling the blimp. It seems as if she had no intention on telling me whatever was troubling her. As long as it didn't affect the mission, I wasn't too concerned. Aryll was counting on me, and I was so close to freedom.

"So Fi," I said, attempting to initiate some small talk to pass the time as I flew the blimp, "How long have you been in this sword?"

_"I have been one with the master sword ever since it was first created by the Goddess, Hylia,"_ she answered curtly

"Hylia actually crafted this blade?"

Fi nodded, _"That is correct. She forged this blade so that only those worthy of wielding its power could draw it. It seems as if you are among the chosen few."_

"I'm just as surprised as you are," I told her truthfully, "I'm not even sure I deserve this kind of power."

_"Why do you say that?"_

I didn't want to go into detail about my imprisonment with a sword, so I decided just to skirt around the subject. "I'm just nothing special," I told her

_"Remove your glove"_ Fi suddenly ordered, pointing towards my right hand

I followed her directions and took it off. When the glove was removed, I saw a faint pattern on the back of my right hand. They were the three triangles that had gotten me into this whole mess.

_"This mark shows that you are blessed with divine strength. Believe it or not, master, you are more unique then most beings."_

I stared at the three triangles on my hand. They were not glowing like before, instead they were grey, as it was merely a tattoo. Never had they appeared on my bare hand before, not until after the first glow. If I had the marking during my time in the prison, I would have never heard the end of it. Malon would have mistaken it for a tattoo, and would have definitely shown her disapproval.

I felt a tinge of sadness as I thought back to Malon. Hopefully, she was safe, along with Colin and my sister. I put my glove back on to cover up the mark, thinking it best not to think about my little family at the moment.

_"Master, there are three incoming blimps,"_ Fi suddenly announced, yanking me out of deep thought.

"What?!"

Before I could spin the steering wheel in a different direction, three large war blimps floated up around me, surrounding my blimp. This was definitely not good.

The door of the blimp in front of me opened, and out extended some sort of platform. Soldiers began to file out, forming to lines next to the exit. After they were all in formation, they all took a knee.

Then, out of the exit, walked a large man with dark skin and fiery red hair. He wore expensive robes and a golden crown was placed on his head. As he walked by, one of the soldiers shouted out, "All Hail King Ganondorf Dragamire!"

A resounding, "All Hail!" came from every soldier, even the ones on the other blimps. King Dragamire merely smiled, showing a set of perfect white teeth. He then pointed towards me, still wearing his confident smile, and called out, "Anarchist, I know why you have come! I see every sin against the Goddess that blackens your family and your heart. The prison, the murders, the lies, and now, to try and gain your freedom and redemption in the eyes of our great Hylia, you have come for our spirit maiden! But not all men can taste the sweet nectar of freedom, Link."

"You know NOTHING about me or my family!" I yelled at him, drawing my sword and pointing it at him threateningly.

"I know enough," King Dragamire laughed, as if my words and threats did not even faze him, "What brought you here? The promise of something that is nothing more then a mere illusion? Well I can promise you this, Forester. This will end in blood. But, then again, it always does, doesn't it?"

I felt a sudden quake run through my body, almost causing me to fall to my knees. I looked at the back of my right hand and saw that the three triangles were once again glowing through my leather glove. Something about this man's mere presence was making me feel sick.

"You have come to lead our maiden astray, but thy sword is bent, and thy mind is twisted," Ganondorf shouted in a voice that would strike fear in the hearts of even dragons, "GO BACK TO THE SESPOOL FROM WHICH YOU CAME!"

_"MASTER!"_ Fi suddenly warned me

I whirled around and saw that the woman who had been praying in the corner was holding a huge container of lantern oil over her head.

"NO!" I screamed as I lunged towards her, but it was too late. She dumped the entire container on herself, the oil spreading everywhere, and then pulled out a torch, which she had somehow managed to conceal this whole time. Fi was right; I should have disposed of her.

Time seemed to slow as she dropped the torch, causing it to tumble towards the oil coated floor. As soon as it touched the ground, the whole blimp burst into flame.

"Fi, how do I get out?" I coughed, trying to shield my face from the crackling inferno.

_"There is an open trap door just outside the cockpit,"_ She quickly informed me, _"You can make your escape there."_

With all the force I could muster, I kicked down the door and burst through the exit, frantically looking for the opening Fi was speaking of. In the middle of the room, I found a large square hole, where the trap door must have been. Unfortunately, I saw no way I could possibly live after a fall from this high up.

"Well, this is it," I gulped, mentally preparing myself for the leap. A loud blast came from the cockpit, causing the whole airship to tilt up. The sudden tilt caused me to fall out of the blimp.

Wind whipped around me as I plummeted towards the sea of clouds. This was it, I thought, I'm going to die.

_"Master, you must call for your bird,"_ Fi quickly told me as I fell

My loftwing? Unfortunately, I had no idea how to do a birdcall, or if it would even come if I did. But, seeing as I had no other options, I gave it my best shot.

I took a deep breath, stuck to fingers in my mouth, and whistled as loud as I could, praying to Hylia that through some miracle, it would be able to here me.

After waiting a couple seconds, nothing came. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, preparing for the inevitable, when I felt myself hit something with a THUD.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was on the back of the crimson loftwing.

"Yeah!" I shouted, pumping my fist in the air victoriously. I looked down at the loftwing a said, "That's twice you've saved me! I really do owe you now."

The loftwing let out a happy CAW and flapped its wings, flying away from the sea of clouds and back up to Skyloft.

As we flew beside the floating city, I pointed towards the golden statue and asked the red bird, "Do you think you could take me there?"

The loftwing let out a squawk of confirmation, and flew off towards the goddess statue.

The crimson loftwing dropped me off right in front of the golden goddess statue. Just like before, almost as soon as I got off, it flapped its wings and flew away, not even once looking back.

Deciding that now wasn't the best time to wonder where my loftwing went. I was right in front of the tower; after all, victory was just within my grasp! All I had to do was get past this gate and get the princess, easy as that.

I looked for a way past the huge golden gates, but didn't see anything. Unfortunately the bars were too close together to squeeze through. "Any suggestions Fi?" I asked."

The blue spirit jumped from my sword into her physical form and had a look around. After analyzing the situation, she said, _"Master, do you see that eye up there?"_ she pointed to a creepy looking eyeball that was attached to the upper part of the gate.

"I see it," I confirmed, "Should I shoot it?"

_"No,"_ Fi answered, _"It would be ineffective. The eyeball is a dark seal that has been cast on the gate, making it practically impenetrable. You must confuse the spell to break it."_

"Hmmmmmm", I thought. After a bit of thinking, an idea suddenly popped in my head. "Of course!" I exclaimed, pulling out my sword. I held the blade out, pointing it towards the eyeball. The eyeball immediately looked directly at my shiny sword, just like I had hoped.

"Prepare to be broken," I said confidently and began to move the sword around in circles. The eye circled with my sword, trying to follow my swift movements until it just began rolling in its socket. Finally, it began to spun out of control, causing it to explode in a puff of black smoke.

_"Excellent idea master,"_ Fi told me

I smiled back sheepishly, "Thank you, Fi!"

"Yes, quite a clever idea."

That last voice did not belong to Fi or me. I looked around for its source, and spotted a man with blue hair holding a long golden sword out. Almost immediately, I recognized him to be Marth, the one who had tried to pull out the sword before me.

"You know," he spoke in a voice that was cool as ice, "I always wanted to meet the man who could manage to pull out that sword. Never once did I think he would be the Anarchist."

"Look, I don't want any trouble," I told him nervously. From his movements alone, I could tell he outclassed me in every way.

Marth sneered angrily. "You don't want trouble? You should have thought about that before coming to this blessed city and murdering its inhabitance in cold blood."

"They were trying to kill me!" I exclaimed, gripping my sword tightly, preparing for the inevitable fight.

"They fight for the love of Skyloft and the love of Hylia!" the blue haired warrior shouted angrily, pointing the tip of his blade at me, "And you come here, heathen, trying to justify destroying our way of life!"

This guy was not going to be convinced that I didn't want to fight. No matter what, he saw me as the bad guy! But I knew that he was one of their best. His stance was perfect, his balance, impeccable. I looked in his eyes and saw that he had no doubt in his mind that he could defeat me, and I knew in the back of my mind that this was true.

_"70% chance."_

"What?" I whispered

_"70% chance,"_ Fi repeated, _"There is a 70% chance you will come out of this battle victorious."_

"How? His skills severely outclass mine!"

_"You are blessed with the gift. He, on the other hand, is not."_

"What do you me-"

"Cease speaking to yourself, Anarchist!" Marth yelled, interrupting my conversation with Fi, "Come and face me! Just know that I would lay down my life for Zelda!"

Zelda? He was the first one to call the princess by her actual name. Did he somehow know the princess personally?

"What do you know of her?" I demanded

"I know that there are people like you who would use here for her gift, and that I will NEVER let you touch her!" Marth yelled. Before I could respond, he charged at me, his sword at the ready.

I sprang into action, meeting his blade with mine, parrying his strikes. My intuition was right; his swings were fast and accurate, each one almost breaking my guard. If it wasn't for the master sword and the marking on my hand, I would have been dead in seconds.

Each time I blocked, he grew more frustrated and determined, yelling out loudly as he attempted to break me. And then, the inevitable happened. Marth swung so hard it knocked me back and off my feet.

"You're finished anarchist!" He growled, walking towards me at a painfully slow pace, savoring the moment.

I quickly grabbed my sword and stood to me feet shakily. As I raised my sword to a battle ready position, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I looked and saw a place where the tunic had been ripped. It was only a small wound, but enough for this master swordsman to exploit.

_"Quick master, raise your sword up!"_

I followed Fi's directions, raising my sword skyward. The blade suddenly began to glow brighter and brighter, as if it was absorbing the sunlight around me. Marth noticed what was happening and shouted, "Oh no you don't!" He began charging at me as fast as he could.

_"Now Master, swing!"_

I swung the sword downward and an arc of light shot out from the sword, flying towards Marth. Before the blue haired warrior could react, the beam caught him in the chest, knocking him down instantly.

"Woah!" I exclaimed, looking at the blade that had just saved my life, "I didn't know it could do that!"

_"Focus, Master,"_ Fi told me

"Right." I looked over at Marth, who was lying on the ground, not moving at all. I turned to Fi and asked, "Is he-"

_"No, he is merely unconscious."_

I ran over to the body and checked his pulse. As usual, Fi was right, Marth was still breathing. "Should I finish him off?"

_"I would suggest continuing on before help arrives."_

Fi, again, was right; I didn't want to stick around to see how many more soldiers they could throw at me. I ran off towards the goddess statue and up to the entrance. Using my sword, I cut off the locks that kept the door closed and walked inside, where the lost princess was awaiting.

**A/N: I hope you all liked the chapter! Remember to leave a review and, if you really like it, a favorite.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Chapter Six now up! Hope you guys like it. Remember to leave a review.**

** SunshineMuncher: I'm glad you liked it**

** Itansha: Oh, I don't hate Marth. In fact, I have big things planned for him! IDK why us LoZ fanfic writers use him so much, though.**

** SxDsX: Sorry, I haven't played any of the final fantasy games. But I will youtube those characters to see what you're talking about!**

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**Chapter Six: The Lost Princess**

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The first thing I noticed about the Goddess statue once I entered was that it was a lot larger looking on the inside. Next thing I noticed were two large signs placed near the door leading to the stairwell.

The first one had "Restricted Area" written on it in large red letters.

The second said, "The spirit maiden will guide us in our time of need."

"It looks like these people worship her," I said to myself as I opened the door and began to climb the flight of stairs.

It took me a while to get anywhere, since the statue was so tall. The whole time, I was just silently hoping Marth would stay unconscious.

Eventually, I found another door, which lead to a circular room with hundreds of unraveled scrolls pinned up against the wall. I approached a couple, just to see what they were, and saw that most were ancient symbols, drawn in strange patterns.

"Fi, do you recognize any of this?" I asked, pulling one sheet of paper of the wall and holding it up for her to see.

Fi jumped from my sword and began to examine the paper. After she felt that she had thoroughly looked it over, Fi reported, _"I have no records of any such symbols in my database."_

"Really?" I was a bit surprised. That was the first time that Fi didn't have an answer for something. Then again, I guessed that it was to much to ask for someone to know everything.

I threw the scroll aside and kept moving, looking for the path leading up to the top. After a bit of searching, I found a pulley platform that could hopefully take me up to the top. I stepped on it, pulled the lever, and the platform lurched upward, almost knocking me off my feet.

"This place has some interesting devices, I'll give it that," I mumbled under my breath as the platform moved upwards.

After a couple minutes, it stopped at an opening in the wall. As soon as I stepped through, the pulley platform fell back down, trapping me in the upper part of the statue.

"Well, I better have a look around."

In front of me was a window that was covered by a pair of curtains and a lever. I assumed that the lever would open the door to my right, but I was a bit curious about what was behind the curtains, so I pulled them aside.

My jaw almost dropped when I saw what was on the other side. On the other side of the window was undoubtedly, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. It was she, the princess.

Her golden blonde hair was tied into two braids, and a small ponytail at the end, just as it was in the picture. Her womanly curves were not too big, but a perfect size for someone of her class. Her indigo colored eyes were even more gorgeous in person. I watched, mesmerized as she went about her daily business.

Zelda was holding a small picture, looking at it with a smile on her face. She then turned to the window and looked at it, squinting in an adorable fashion and adjusting her hair the slightest bit. I cringed when she looked at the window, almost sure she was going to catch me spying on her, but she never did.

I got up closer to the window, wondering if maybe it was fogged up, but it seemed perfectly clear. Then it hit me. "This is a one way mirror, isn't it?" I murmured quietly, so that she would not hear me through the glass.

Zelda finished adjusting her hair and began to dance around with the picture again. As she spun, I caught a glimpse of what was on it. There was a perfect image of the famous Waterfall of Wishing; probably taken with one of those 'cameras' I had seen earlier at the carnival.

I watched as she hugged the picture close, and then ran out of the room, leaving it desolate. Quickly, I pulled the lever, in hopes that I would catch up to her. The door slid open and I ran through, following a wooden catwalk up to the next viewing station.

Just like the first, it had a window, concealed by a pair of red curtains, and a lever for the door. The sign above the window said that this was the art room. I opened the curtains, sure enough, I saw Zelda, standing in front of an incredible painting of the Waterfall of Wishing.

She held the picture up, comparing it to the painting, and then placed it down on a table next to her. Her blissful expression changed to one of determination as she turned to the painting and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, her body began to glow brightly, much to my surprise. I stepped back instinctively, watching her nervously. As she began to glow brighter, I felt the now familiar pain in my hand. I held up my right hand and saw that my mark was glowing again, somehow reacting to her magic.

Then, one of the most terrifying displays if power I had ever seen happened. Zelda held out her arms and a circular portal opened, its mere presence causing all the art supplies around her to whirl around uncontrollably. Then, a clear image of the Wishing Waterfall appeared in the portal.

"Great Hylia!" I shouted, almost a bit too loudly, stumbling backwards as fast as I could. She knew magic, extremely powerful magic.

I watched in amazement as Zelda opened her eyes and saw what she had done. She began jumping up and down in celebration, when suddenly, a dangerous river Zora burst from the water and charged towards her. Zelda screamed out in horror and quickly closed the portal, causing her to stumble backwards and fall on her rear. She sighed in disappointment as she got up, dusted herself off, and left the room.

Taking my time, I got back on my feet and told myself shakily, "Alright Link, just ignore it. This has nothing to do with the job at hand."

I pulled the lever and moved on to the next viewing station. The third station took a bit longer to get to, which, hopefully, meant it was the last. I was not too inclined to wait around and see how long it would take for all of Skyloft to realize that I was still alive.

Just like before I pulled aside the curtains, but this time, I got a view of her whole room. For something that was to be her prison, it was pretty massive. The walls were lined with bookshelves, each novel meticulously organized. Maps of Hyrule covered every desk, each with little drawings on them. It didn't take me long to figure out that each of these were hand made by Zelda. Parts of the wall were painted as well, murals of stories she must have read.

"Wow, this girl has more talents then I can count," was all I could say as I stared at her room.

As I was about to pull the lever, a beautiful sound reached my ears. I searched around for the source and saw Zelda standing on an elevated part of the room looking out a large bay window. She was playing a golden harp as she looked outside longingly, and singing as well.

"Oh youth," she sang in a silky, soothing voice that made me melt inside, "guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land. En daʃeʋu nobe̞ ʃo̞ndʊ, tʏe ʃʊtʊ keuænu sale̞ En daʃeʋu nobe̞ dʊʃʊ, tʏe ʃʊtʊ nobe̞ dezu dotʃe…"

As she continued to sing, I realized that those were the lyrics to the holy Ballad of the Goddess. Zelda sung each note perfectly, as if she was born to. But when she looked out the window, she seemed to feel a certain longing that I could relate to.

It was a feeling of longing that I felt every time I looked out the window when I was imprisoned in Arbiter's ground. This girl was just as trapped as I was.

"Just hold on your highness," I assured her, even though Zelda couldn't hear me, as I pulled the lever.

The door slid open and I ran through, now even more determined to liberate this girl from her cage just as I had been liberated from mine.

When I opened the door, a gust of wind burst through, taking me by surprise. I looked out and realized the next part of the path was on the OUTSIDE of the statue. Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside, getting a death grip on the railing as I did.

"Okay, you can do this Link," I breathed, slowly making my way up the statue from the outside.

The wind blew against me as I walked up the frighteningly smooth path. A couple times, I even almost felt myself slip. It was a generally terrifying experience.

When I finally reached the entrance back into the statue, I was breathing heavily and sweating rivers. As quickly as I could, I threw open the door and jumped inside, slamming it behind me.

I leaned against the door and took a couple breaths, panting, "That… was… terrible…"

It took me a bit to finally regain my wits and keep moving. I moved to the door in front of me and pulled the lever beside it. The door opened up to a strange room with three rusty looking chains attached to the floor, which looked like it was made of solid gold.

Not even thinking twice, I stepped on. When I was completely inside the room, I sighed in relief. At least the worst part was over.

Suddenly, I felt the floor creak and shake under me. I looked down one more time and suddenly realized that I wasn't standing on any floor.

"Fi," I asked, my voice a bit shaky, "This is the chandelier, isn't it?"

_"There is a 99% chance that this is in fact a chandelier."_

Before I could shout an obscenity, the first chain broke with a loud CLINK! The second was soon to go, and then the whole thing collapsed from under me.

"AAAGGGHHHHH!" I screamed as I tumbled down to the floor with the chandelier. Before I hit the wreckage on the ground, though, I managed to grab the railing of the elevated part of the room.

I looked down at the destroyed chandelier before me and let out another sigh of relief. "Well thank Hylia I grabbed on to this thing."

When I began to pull myself up and peeked over the railing, I saw Zelda clutching her harp tightly and looking at me with sheer terror in her deep blue eyes.

Damn it Link, I thought to myself, say something!

I smiled sheepishly and said, "Oh, hello!"

Zelda screamed loudly and hit me over the head with her harp, causing me to lose my grip and fall to the floor with an UMPH! I looked up and saw her grab a heavy book and throw it at me. The Skyloft Dictionary hit me on the side of my face before I could put my hands in front of it.

She ran down the stairs as I began to sat up and grabbed another book, throwing it at me. This time I was ready, though, and knocked it to the side.

"Stop throwing things at me!" I yelled as she threw yet another book.

Zelda continued to throw entire volumes at me, some of them being pretty heavy books. She moved closer with each book she threw, and in no time, she was standing over me; holding her harp up, ready to strike.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice audibly quaking with fear

"My name is Link Forester, and I'm not going to hurt you," I assured her, trying to calm the princess down. She watched me suspiciously, still keeping her harp at the ready, as I stood up slowly.

"I'm a friend," I told her in a calm voice, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm here to get you out."

Zelda reacted to my touch, trying to swing her harp into my cranium again, but I caught her arm before she had a chance. She struggled helplessly, trying to whack me over the head with the instrument. When Zelda finally ran out of breath, she realized it was useless and put the harp down, catching her breath.

Her next move surprised me. She reached out and put her hand on my cheek, ever so gently and asked me in her beautiful, soothing voice, "Are you real?"

I smiled back to her and answered, "I am real enough."

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a strange jingle coming from behind us. I turned around and saw a golden version of the statue that had gotten me here, playing a strange tune.

When I turned back to Zelda, I saw her eyes were wide with terror. She suddenly turned me around and began to push me towards a small corner. "He's coming," she told me nervously, "You-you have to go!"

"Why?" I laughed, not realizing the horrifying thing that the statue was signaling.

"Believe me, you don't want to be here when he gets he-"

A loud bird like noise cut her off. Zelda looked up at the hole the broken chandelier had left open and called, "J-just a minute, I'm getting dressed!"

"Let's get you out of here," I said to her, watching as she frantically looked for a place I could hide.

She responded in almost a laughing tone, "Believe me, there's no way out, I've tried."

I suddenly realized what she needed. I fished through my pouch and pulled out the strange key Tatl and Tael had given me before I had reached Skyloft and held it out to her. "What about this?"

"What, what is-" She gasped when she saw the key and snatched it out of my hand, "Where did you get this?"

I was about to respond, when an even louder bird cry filled the room. Zelda motioned for me to follow her as she ran up to a large door with an oversized lock on it. She took the key and stuck it in, then turned it, bringing out a CLINK from the door. "It's our way out!"

As soon as the door opened, I heard whatever was outside screech angrily at the top of its lungs. The ground suddenly began to shake as more angry screeches sounded.

"Follow me!" Zelda yelled as we slipped through the door and made our escape.

I did not want to meet the thing making those noises, so I followed her, sprinting as fast as my feet could carry me.

As we followed the wooden walkway, the statue began to shake more violently, parts of it crumbling around us.

"Keep running!" Zelda yelled to me

She didn't need to tell me twice.

As we ran through the statue, we passed by the observations stations. Zelda noticed the one-way mirrors as we went by and gasped, "They've been watching me this whole time?"

The gentlemanly thing to do would have been to comfort her, but I figured escaping was first on our list of priorities. Another huge jolt shook the statue, knocking both of us to our feet. We got up as quickly as we could and kept on sprinting, as wooden beams holding up other parts of the walkway crumbled away.

"What the hell is that thing?" I shouted to her

"It's his job to keep me here," she answered, not looking back at me once.

Suddenly, the whole statue lurched to the side, knocking me over again, and almost causing me to slide off the walkway. As I hung on for dear life, I saw something tear through the side of the statue as if it were paper.

"Goddesses!" I screamed, scrambling back to my feet as the statue balanced out again. As quickly as I could, I caught up to Zelda, who had actually stopped running to wait for me in another one of the observation rooms.

"Call up the platform!" I yelled as I ran inside the room, catching my breath

Zelda gave me a confused look, so I took matters into my own hands and yanked the lever to bring up the pulley platform.

As we waited for the platform to come up, Zelda turned towards the room's one-way mirror and asked me, "Why were they watching me? What do they want from me?"

"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "But what I do know is that you're getting out of here!"

Just as the platform was about to reach us, a huge pair of claws busted through the shaft, causing Zelda to scream loudly and me to almost drop my sword. The creature that was chasing us then moved its head in front of the hole it made as it screeched angrily.

My heart almost stopped when I saw the monster's face. It was the head of a giant bird, the same one I had seen on the posters earlier, the Helmaroc King. The monster was much more terrifying then the poster had portrayed it though, especially when trying to ram its way to you.

Zelda and I cowered at the back of the room as the Helmaroc King slammed its head against the hole, trying to bust through and kill me. Luckily for us, the wall was holding up against the bird's attacks. Finally, the Helmaroc King realized that its efforts were futile, and moved on to try a different approach.

When it pulled its head away, a flight of stairs were revealed. I grabbed Zelda by the hand and shouted, "Let's go, before it comes back!"

We jumped across the gap and began sprinting up the stairs, panting heavily and scared half to death. That monster seemed practically unstoppable!

"We have to keep moving," Zelda yelled as we sprinted upwards, "It's going to tear this whole place apart! Look!" She pointed over to a large door that was right in front of us, "We can go through here!"

"Move aside!" I told her, running over to he large iron door. With a large heave, I pushed it open, gritting my teeth as I gave it all my strength. Once it was open enough for both of us to get through, Zelda shouted, "Come on!"

I followed her out the door and onto another outer walkway. "Just go up!" I told her, figuring that the bottom part of the statue was probably completely destroyed by now. Zelda nodded obediently and ran up the path with me, all the way up to the top of the statue.

Once we reached the top, the bird slammed into the statue as hard as it could, knocking it over and causing both of us to slide right off the top.

"NOOOOO!" I yelled as I saw my one chance for freedom fall of with me. Zelda screamed as the two of us tumbled through the air towards the ground. I reached out my hand to her and shouted, "GRAB MY HAND!"

Zelda managed to extend far enough to take my hand pulling herself closer to me. With my free hand, I whistled as loud as I could for my loftwing.

As fast as lightning, at crimson streak caught us on its back and took off.

The red loftwing dove and weaved through floating houses and towers as we held on for dear life. I could hear the Helmaroc King's angry screech as it flew through the sky, knocking over buildings and desperately trying to stop us. Hundreds of structures crumbled in front of us as my loftwing desperately tried to avoid all the falling debris. In one, final attempt, the Helmaroc King grabbed a chunk of a defense tower and threw it at the red loftwing.

"Look out!" I warned as a volley of stone came flying towards my bird. Despite its best efforts, the crimson loftwing got clipped by a large chunk of stone, causing it to lose control and throw both of us off.

I tried to grab Zelda by the hand as we fell, but she slipped away before I could get a good grip.

"ZELDA!" I yelled as the falling ruins separated us.

I then heard a loud screech and felt a powerful grip snatch me up. I saw that the Helmaroc King had me in its claws. The giant bird reared back its beak, readying to tear my head off, when a large rock hit it on the head.

It cried out in pain and dropped me, flying away from the crumbling section of Skyloft.

I looked down as I fell downward, saying my prayers as I did. But when I expected the feeling of hard pavement, I felt myself slam into a body of water and sink to the bottom. It didn't matter, though. I was too tired to swim up.

As my vision began to fade, I could only think about how I had failed Malon, Colin, and worst of all, Aryll. Now my poor sister really would be the last of my family.

**A/N: Duh Duh DUUUUUUUUH! I hope you all enjoyed the big chase scene, I know it was one of my favorite parts in infinite! I thought the Helmaroc king might make a good songbird, since he spent pretty much all of windwaker nabbing girls and keeping them locked up in a tower. Seemed like a good fit! Please, leave a review, or if you really liked it, a favorite!**


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